Chapter
City of Witches Chapter 338
What do witches do in their free time?
This question isn't much different from asking, "What are your hobbies?"
It's similar in that the options vary depending on taste and preference, and different answers will come from different people.
Some might read books, some might ride horses across hills, some might watch plays, and some might take half-baths in hot springs.
But if the question becomes, what do two witches do together in their free time? the story changes a bit.
In Gehenna, where entertainment options are somewhat lacking, and among bored witches, there is one folk game that reigns supreme in popularity: the Witchboard.
Its most basic form involves a translucent holographic regular dodecahedron floating above a crystal sphere storing magic power.
Inside this large floating dodecahedron shape, smaller dodecahedrons are packed tightly.
This hologram is the board where the game unfolds, akin to a chessboard.
The rules are as follows:
On the given board, each edge represents one 'Path,' and at the vertices, 'Runes' essential for drawing Magic Formulas are randomly placed using a random number algorithm within the crystal sphere.
Paths and Runes alone cannot complete a Magic.
Therefore, each player is given three 'Magic Power Sources,' which they place in desired positions to start the game.
Once the game begins in earnest, players take turns making moves, like in Go, utilizing the Runes at the vertices and the Paths along the edges to create Magic.
Use the created Magic to attack the opponent's Magic Power Sources or defend against the opponent's attacks.
The side that first captures all three of the opponent's Magic Power Sources or forces a surrender wins.
Diana finished her explanation as quickly and concisely as possible.
"It looks kind of difficult..."
Diana had expressed her desire to face Siwoo in a Witchboard match.
Since the Witchboard itself is a popular game, she could have just brought one of the several sets available at the third-floor cafe, but...
It felt a bit messy.
After hearing the explanation, Siwoo expressed his honest feelings.
"You'll understand once you try. Since it's your first time, I'll go easy on you."
So, in short, connect the lines inside this, place the Runes appropriately to create Magic.
Use that to break the opponent's power sources and defend against attacks.
It seems like a kind of simulation game, like chess or Go...
He roughly connected a few lines to try creating some Magic.
It didn't seem that hard.
After all, with such a rigid board and randomly scattered Runes, the types of Magic that can be implemented are limited.
"It's a fair game. Unlike actual magical combat, you can only make one move per turn."
"That's certainly true."
That's why this game is popular.
Actual magical combat involves too many innate factors.
No matter how outstanding one's magical thinking ability is, if there's a difference in Hierarchy and the amount of magic power, a proper fight can't even occur.
On the other hand, in this Witchboard, both an Apprentice Witch and a Great Witch can only take one move per turn.
Moreover, high-level Magic beyond a certain point is restricted.
To implement complex Magnetic Magic, you'd need hundreds of turns, and there's no way the opponent would just wait during that time.
In other words, it's a game well-suited for purely judging magical thinking ability and flexibility.
"Is this your first time?"
"Yes, it's my first time actually playing."
"I'll give you a nine-turn handicap. Feel free to do as you like."
For reference, Diana was very confident in this game.
The Witchboard was one of Diana's few hobbies.
Given her shining talent, Diana could even have close, evenly matched games with Countess Yesod.
On this game board where all conditions are equal, she was confident she could face any witch.
"Do I just start?"
"First, you need to decide where to place your Magic Power Sources. You can place three each on the vertices of the large dodecahedron."
"Hmm, I see."
As the first player, Siwoo took the black pieces.
Without much thought, he quickly marked three spots.
Seeing this, Diana tilted her head.
Because the vertices he chose for his power sources were all clustered closely together.
That deviated greatly from standard strategy and was an inefficient play, even with a little magical thought.
Placing the Magic Power Sources on vertices that meet as many edges as possible allows for a wider use of the board.
Clustering them within the same pentagon like that narrows the usable space and limits the types of Magic available.
It seemed her expectations had been too high.
"Nine moves, done."
"......"
Diana's thoughts solidified as she watched Siwoo use up his nine handicap moves.
If he had efficiently arranged those initial nine moves, he could have crippled one of Diana's Magic Power Sources before the game even properly started.
That would have created a difference in the amount of magic power naturally available, widening the gap.
Even for a beginner, if he had any aptitude for Magic, he should have seen that angle.
The fact that he couldn't even manage that...
She couldn't help but think that rumors were just rumors, and there was too much hype.
"Now it's my turn."
After that, they took turns playing.
Diana's moves were almost textbook.
Ultimately, what's needed to utilize diverse Magic are the Runes randomly placed here and there.
She effectively occupied these Runes, read the opponent's intended Magic, controlled essential Runes, and steered the game to her advantage.
Using the many Runes she held, she built various combinations, constantly forcing the opponent into difficult choices and reaping benefits.
Even with the same number of moves, the side holding more Runes can use higher-efficiency attack Magic.
The same goes for defense.
This is the final move.
Siwoo, who had been on the defensive from the start, naturally fell behind in the power struggle.
In the end, all his attack Magic was defended, and all his defensive Magic was shattered by Diana's attacks, resulting in the loss of all three Magic Power Sources.
It was a crushing defeat that took less than ten minutes from start to finish.
"Easy."
Diana triumphantly declared her victory.
Truthfully, the victory itself was expected.
There's always a gap between a novice and an expert that a nine-move handicap can't bridge.
What mattered was the process.
She perfectly blocked his desperate offensive attempts from the mid-game and seized victory. To use a chess analogy, it was akin to winning without losing even four pieces.
Siwoo silently gazed at the finished game board.
He seemed to be reviewing the game after its conclusion.
The atmosphere was quite serious.
"Hmm... It's a bit disappointing."Could he really have been trying to win with such a preposterous method?
Diana was slightly dumbfounded.
In a situation where even approaching with a desire to learn would be insufficient, he says it's a pity.
Thinking she had wasted her time touching the board for nothing, Diana pressed the button on the board where the crystal ball was fixed to reset the game board.
"Shall we try again then?"
"Yes, I'd like to try again."
Beating up a beginner isn't the way of a seasoned player, but strictly speaking, her opponent wasn't a complete novice.
He was someone who claimed to understand the laws of Magic.
If he was employing such vulgar marketing tactics, advertising himself as a 'male witch' to gather customers, he should at least show some decent effort.
As she thought this, Diana could further confirm the reason she had subconsciously felt uncomfortable with his existence.
The fact that he claimed to walk the Magic Path yet exploited it for commercial promotion.
Come to think of it, that was another point she disliked.
"You go first with nine moves again this time."
"Yes, thank you. I'll learn from this move."
Siwoo, marking three magic power sources in an instant.
This time, it was exactly the same as before.
A self-defeating move, cramming magic power sources into a narrow space, hindering his own expansion potential.
The subsequent nine moves showed no improvement in his play either.
"Hoo…."
Should I say something or not?
After pondering, Diana opened her mouth.
"Excuse me, if you place your magic power sources that close together, your subsequent plays will be limited. The paths overlap too much. I'll give you another chance. Try placing them on the vertices of different pentagons. Starting with them a bit more spread out will definitely make things easier."
Honestly, giving advice to an opponent or giving back moves doesn't suit Diana's nature, even if the game has already started.
Nevertheless, the reason she was giving him another chance was that she didn't want to win in such a hollow manner as before.
However, the answer that came back from him was utterly bizarre.
"Ah, it's fine. I'm going to try a slightly different method this time. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."
A different method?
Getting the hang of it?
Having her rare goodwill ignored, Diana felt even more incredulous.
Different method or not, that play completely deviates from the standard strategy….
Standard strategies don't exist for no reason.
A standard strategy is a highly generalized principle born from countless trials and errors.
In other words, it's a verified play.
"Fine. Do as you please."
Moreover, it wasn't a sycophantically sweet voice, but a serious tone and gaze.
It's even more irritating because he acts as if he's some real Witch, putting on airs.
Diana passed judgment.
This male witch isn't worth seeing any more.
A fool who's all flashy rumors and appearance.
I'll finish this quickly and go back home.
And so, Diana and Siwo, after waiting for the nine moves, exchanged moves one by one, carefully.
This time was easy too.
Diana followed a slightly different standard strategy from before, carefully laying the groundwork for victory step by step.
Smooth sailing.
She secured 15 paths for attack and occupied the optimal Runes.
She didn't forget to prepare countermeasures to ensure smooth defense even in case of a sudden surprise attack.
She would show him what happens when you clump magic power sources together like that.
Diana was planning to construct a magic formula for firing a magic power cannon to blow away his magic power sources all at once.
Just five more moves, and victory would have been hers.
"...Huh?"
Diana opened her mouth because she had belatedly noticed something she had completely missed while focusing solely on her own play until now.
"Ah, you noticed. I was trying to hide it."
Amidst the complexly tangled points, lines, and Runes, a menacingly gaping maw.
A trap she hadn't noticed at all was set.
A trap that would have been triggered if Diana had played just one more of the five moves she had planned.
"……."
The magic Diana had created was a magic power cannon amplified over and over.
On the other hand, what Siwo had created now was one large tunnel ring designed to redirect such a magic power cannon in the opposite direction.
If she had proceeded with her offensive, the finishing blow she had painstakingly crafted would have instead swept away Diana's own magic power sources.
Why hadn't she noticed?
Overconfidence?
No.
Because Siwo's secret strategy was truly cunningly hidden.
"Of course."
Diana lied nonchalantly and revised her strategy.
She first dismantled the ring tunnel-type Magic Formula Siwo was constructing, spent about 20 more turns, and forced his surrender.
It was a bit shocking.
Needless to say, the opponent's play deviated from the standard.
It was a strategy like a Joker card with no backup plan if it failed.
She had completely underestimated him as a total greenhorn.
She had almost allowed a come-from-behind victory with that Joker card.
"To have noticed this... as expected, I can't match you. It's your victory, Diana-nim. I lost."
"……."
A victory, but an unsatisfying one.
Diana quickly pressed the reset button on the Witchboard.
"Let's play one more game. I'll give you nine moves again this time."
There was something she needed to check a bit more.
If that play was intentional.
If he could do something similar again next time, she would have to revise her evaluation of him.
Facing Diana, who was unusually fired up with motivation, Siwo made an embarrassed expression and held up the hourglass.
"I'm sorry, but the allotted time is almost up. It's about time for the Witches with reservations to start arriving."
As her concentration wavered slightly, she could hear the surrounding noise starting to become bustling.
"I'll pay more money. Please extend the time."
"You are clearly Diana-nim, the Apprentice Witch of the great Yesod Count House. I believe you understand the importance of promises."
Diana, who was about to insist, managed her expression that was about to scrunch up and nodded her head haughtily.
"Then I'll come again tomorrow before opening hours. Be prepared."
"Understood. I'll escort you to the front, so please be careful on your way."
Escorted by Siwo, as she stepped out in front of the Host Bar, Diana resolved.
She would definitely come back here tomorrow as well.